UFC Fight Night Breakdown

Koscheck vs. Yoshida

Dec 10, 2008

For anyone who doubts the power of MMA to unify the masses, simply
look at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night “Fight for the Troops” benefit
show airing on SpikeTV. What other sport could bring together
latte-sipping literati and Budweiser-pounding brewmeisters all in
the name of supporting our fallen and wounded soldiers?

So while the focus is rightly on the fine folks who’ve gone above
and beyond the call of duty to make sure I can sit behind a
keyboard and make blithe comments about big dudes in short shorts,
there is some quality MMA to mouth off about and I can’t pass up
that opportunity.

In other words, put down the latte and/or Budweiser and read up on
the exploits of MMA’s favorite heel while engaging in a serious
debate on just how “Quick” Mike Swick
really is. All that and more brought to you by a paranoia-inducing
diet of Red Bulls and raw sugar. Try it sometime.

The stakes: After going big and going
home in a short-notice bout against Thiago Alves
that left his body every shade of the blue and purple color
spectrum, Koscheck’s welterweight title aspirations are in serious
danger. Rebuilding his status as an elite contender is all Koscheck
can do in the mean time, and taking out the upstart Yoshida would
be a good start.

At this point, it’s the only start Koscheck can afford to make
unless he’s planning on taking a vacation in the preliminary
portion of upcoming UFC cards. Considering Koscheck has more heel
heat than Mike Tyson at a couple’s therapy session, it won’t take
much for that imposed vacation to happen.

The breakdown: While Koscheck’s love
affair with striking clearly cost him his bout with Alves, it may
save his golden-tressed dome against Yoshida, whose savvy
submission game and penchant for creating scrambles make him a
dangerous proposition for Koscheck’s still-suspect grappling
game.

As long as Koscheck can impose his will on the feet and keep
Yoshida at arm’s length, he is at a distinct advantage. What
remains to be seen is if the short turnaround time from the Alves
loss and Yoshida’s canny clinch throws blow up Koscheck’s hopes
like that botched volcano from your third grade science fair.

The stakes: Already one of the
welterweight division’s premier prospects thanks to a
skull-crushing showing at the Cage Force welterweight tournament,
Yoshida became an MMA folk hero after choking War “Jon Koppenhaver”
Machine into unconsciousness. With his people’s champion status
cemented, Yoshida now has a chance to launch his welterweight
contender status at Koscheck’s expense. With no clear contender
lined up behind Thiago
Alves, Yoshida could easily walk away from this bout next in
line for a title shot. That, or Yoshida gets to play Hideki Irabu
to Koscheck’s major league average hitter.

The breakdown: If Yoshida is going to
have any chance of stopping Koscheck, it starts with keeping the
boisterous one from turning this into a midweek wrestling meet.
That means closing the pocket in a hurry, as the bulk of Koscheck’s
wrestling game is predicated on landing quicksilver single- and
double-legs. From there, Yoshida can use his strong judo background
while mixing in his nasty clinch game to stifle Koscheck.

This fight boils down to Yoshida’s ability to get in Koscheck’s
grill and maul him from bell to bell. Luckily, Yoshida’s
flesh-flaying elbows and old-school judo style make him more than
up to the task. Whether or not he can get past Koscheck’s barrage
of power punches and technical takedowns is another story.

* * *

The bottom line: As much as Koscheck’s
prodigious physical talents have made him an MMA phenom, the
struggle to grasp the multiple facets of MMA in a limited period of
time have come to the fore with alarming regularity. Whether it be
his inability to alter a failing game plan or a troubling
propensity for getting himself in trouble on the mat, Koscheck just
doesn’t have the polish in his game that other top-flight
contenders enjoy.

That will haunt him yet again Wednesday. Koscheck’s loopy boxing
style will lead to Yoshida going straight to the clinch and turning
this into a close-quarters clash where the Japanese fighter’s
elbows end up serving as scalpels. A surprisingly flat Koscheck,
likely not aided by his brief respite between fights, goes down via
TKO early in the second round.